Apparatus for depositing sulphur pellets in glass containers



ct. 21, 194i. l.-G. POLITSCH ETAL APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING SULPHUR PELLETS IN GLASS CONTAINERS I) Sheets-Sheet 1- Filed. June -19, 1940 52 v V.G.Pa lilach Afiilwaack INVENTORS 7 M (2 7 v ATTORN s Oct. 21, 1941. POLl TSCH ETAL. 2,259,777

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITI'NG SULPHUR PELLETS IN GLASS CONTAINERS I FiledJim 19, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 AG. l. auci:

INVENTORS /gg/z ATTORN S Oct. 21,1941 v. G. POLITSCH Em 2,25 ,777,

APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITINQ SULPHUR PELLETSQ IN GLASS CONTAINERS Filed June 19, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet 3 LE -P I JO l J l 46 49 m VG. z fi ildch 1 :46 A w l?- 47 3 2 5% 6 I 7 i ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 21, 1941" r APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING SULPHUR PELLETS IN GLASS CONTAINERS Verney G. l olitsch and Albert G. Lauck, Alton;

Ill., assignors to Owens-Illinois Glass Company; a corporation of Ohio Application June 19,1940, sc mata-.360

8 Claims. (Cl. 226-2) The present invention'relates to iinprov ernents ---of. another pellet to said dispenser from the'si p 'v in apparatus for depositing pellets of sulphur or like material in bottles and other glass containers, whereby to neutralize the alkali at and immediately beneath the interior surface thereof.

An object of our invention is the provision of articles at a predetermined station for depositing a pellet in a container and immediately thereafter, placing a second pellet in position for discharge into the next succeeding container.

A further object of our invention is the provision of anapparatus of the above character wherein movement of the" containers, or other articles, to the station, actuates a photoelectric cell unit which in turn operates mechanism for discharging a pellet into a container and'places another pellet in position to be discharged into the next succeeding article. p

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pellet contai: er, dispenser and a portion of the photoelectric cell unit.

Fig, 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the conveyor and a portion 01 the photoelectric cell unit.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional View with parts in elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view of the dispenser and control'valve therefor. I

Fig, 5 is a sectional plan view takensubstantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. '6 is a view illustrating the electrical system and its connection to the dispenser.

Fig. 7. is a fragmentary plan view of the mechanism for indexing the pellet feeder.

Briefly, the invention comprises a photoelectric cell unit arranged to'project a beam of light transversely of and aboveia horizontal machine conveyor which transfers bottles, jars, glass block ply hopper or: feeder.

In the illustrated embodiment oi our'invem" tion it is shown in conjunction withia horizontal machine conveyor 10, which; as stated hereto fore, transfers bottles -B or other glass articles, g

from a forming machine (not shown). to an annealing-leer (not shown). 'The conveyor, is or.

conventional form .and .moves' 'continbusly. Sulphur pellets are stored in a} hopper H and are discharged therefrom at regular timeinterials through ports l2 in a disk I3, thejlatterbeing mounted 'for intermittent rotation. about arifin clined axis to thereby bring these po'rts,l2 one at a time into register with the up and! a l discharge chute. The rotary di k 1 3 Fig. (5)

' is driven by mechanism including a ringgear I5 which runs in mesh with a bevel pinion fflliiat .the upper end of avertical shaft ll,'."thel ower end of which and a horizontal shaft I8'a'r'e' operatively connected by meshing gears l9, The

sections or the like from a forming machine to an annealing-leer This photoelectric cell unit is operatively connected to 'a pellet dispenser which is positioned above the conveyor and to a supply hopper from which pellets are discharged one at a time and fed into theaforementioned c'ell device which in turn eiiects discharge of a pellet from the dispenser into the bottle, or

other article, which has broken the beam of light and immediately thereafter, causes the delivery 2B and'at-leastin part supporting the aforeshaft [8 is rotated intermittently bya mecha- I nism which will be described hereinafter. The

feeder and'mechanism describedabove are conventional andmay be purchased in the open market.

The inclined chute l4 referred to above is connected at its lower. end to the upper end of a vertical dispensing tube 20 (Fig. 3).

with a reduced axial passageway 2| or discharge opening, and this opening is normallyclosed by springdevice 24. The solenoid operates to open the valve and the coil spring device functions automatically to close it. The specific construction (Figs. 1,3, and 4-) may well include a bell crank lever 25 connecting the outer end of the valve 22 and a link 28;. the latter in turn being.

pivoted to the lower end of the core 28 or arma- 1 ture of the solenoid. The upper end of this core or armature supports the lower -endof the coil expansion spring 24 which is confined between said end and a bracket 29, the latter being attached to the upper end of the dispensing tube mentioned solenoid 23. vThe solenoid when energized, moves the core, or armature, upwardly and effects. momentary retraction of the valve 22 .so that a pellet may be discharged from the I tube into a bottle. Immediately thereafter the solenoid is de-energizedand'the coil spring 24 functions to inoveth'e core or armature downwardly and thereby again close the valve 22.

The lower 1 end portion of this tube (Figs. 3 and 4) is formed The mechanism for imparting intermittent rotation to the aforementioned' shafts I1 and I8 whereby to similarly move the diskl3cof the pellet feeder, includes a main drive shaft 30(Figs. 6 and 7) mounted in bearings 3|. One end of this shaft has driving connection with the aforementioned shaft |8. The other end carries a ratchet32 which is engaged with a pawl 33 at one end of a lever 34 or rocker arm. This lever is mounted for oscillation about the axis of said shaft 30 and at the end opposite the pawl 33, is connected through a link 35 to the upper end of a piston 36 which forms part of an air operated piston motor 31.

This motor includes a cylinder 38 and a piston 39 therein which is connected to the aforementioned piston rod 36. Air under pressure is ad- "mitted to the opposite ends of the cylinder in alternation by way of branch pipes 461 which are connected to a spool valve 4|. Air under pres:- sure is supplied to this valve from a main: supply pipe 42. This spool valve is operated at regular time intervals by means of a solenoid 43 which includes a coil spring device (not shown) for moving the valve in the direction opposite that; in which it is moved by the solenoid. The structure of the solenoid and spring device may well be identical to that describedheretofore and illustrated in Fig. 3.

A ratchet 44 and pawl 5, the latter carried by a lever 46, operate to secure the shaft 38 against accidental movement during the intervals between indexing of the disk l3. This lever 46 has its free end positioned in the path of movement of a finger 41 which is carried by the aforementioned link 35. Thus, movement of the piston rod 36 downwardly a predetermined distance, rotates the two ratchets 32 and 44 a distance representing the number of degrees between and effects the annular series of spaced ports l2 proper engagement between said ratchets and the pawls 33 and 45 associated therewith so that the discharge ports I2 always are brought into accurate alignment with the upper end of the chute |4.

Actuating mechanism for the pellet feeder also includes a switch arm 48 which normally closes an electrical circuit by connecting two spaced contacts 48 which are included in the circuit for the solenoid 23 referred to heretofore. This switch arm 48 is mounted for oscillation about a horizontal axis and at one end is provided with a sector gear 50 which meshes with another sector gear 5|, the latter being carried by the aforementioned lever 34 which has direct connection to the piston motor 31. The function of this particular mechanism will become apparent incident to reading the following description of the photoelectric cell unit which controls and times the operation of the pellet feeder and dispenser.

This latter mechanism to a large extent, includes conventional structure. A light source 52 is arranged at one side of the horizontal conveyor l and a conventional photo-electric cell 53 is placed directly across the conveyor from said light source so that the beam of light 54 extends transversely of the length of the conveyor, above the latter and in the normal path of travel of the neck portion of the bottles B. A conventional photoelectric control unit 55 is directly connected tothe photoelectric cell 53 by means of a cable 56. Conductors connect the light source 52 with electric current supply lines 58. Thus, the light source is continuously operated and directs a beam of light in the direction of the photoelec tric cell 53.

The solenoid 23 which actuates the aforementioned valve 22, is electrically connected to the source of electric current supply by means of a Wire 59 hich is attached to one side of the circuit 51 for the light source 52. The other side of the circuit for this solenoid 23 consists of a conductor 60 which is connected to one of the contacts 49 (Fig. 6) and a second conductor 6| which connects the other contact 49 and a relay 62. The solenoid 43 which actuates the spool valve 4|, is connected by a wire 63 to one side of the aforementioned circuit 51 and additionally includes a wire 64 which leads to the relay 62. Through the relay latter wire 64 may be connected to the source of supply of 'electric currenit by means of a wire 65.

The aforementioned photoelectric control unit 55 is connected to the source of electric current supply 56 by means of a pair of conductors: i6

and through one of said? conductors 66 and a third wire 61, said device is operativelb connected to there1ay 62. Trusxwitlr operation 01' the photo'- electric control device: in' response to actuation! of the photoelectric: cell i'rmident' to breaking off the light beam, the relay 62 is operated to close: the circuits to both oi the solenoids 23 and 43i. This results in energization of the; solenoids and immediate opening of the valve 22 to permit the discharge of a pellet into the bottle or other article which is in register with. the dispensing tube 20. Coincident with this: operation, the other solenoid 43, operates the spool valve 4| to effect the introduction. of air under pressure to the upper end of the piston motor 31. The piston 38 is moved downwardly and through the piston rod 36, lever 34, and pawl and ratchet mechanism imparts a slight rotary motion to the shaft 3! which in. turn indexes the disk l3 to bring the next succeeding port l2 into register with the chute M. Simultaneously with such indexing of.the disk l3, the switch arm 48 (Fig. 6) is moved to break the circuit through the solenoid 23 which is associated with the pellet dispenser. Thus, the spring 24 is free to close the valve 22 just in advance of the delivery of the next pellet to the dispensing tube 20. By the time these steps have been taken, the bottles or other articles will have passed the pellet dis- Densing station, or treating station, so that the light beam will again be directed against the photoelectric cell 53 and through the latter and the photoelectric control device 55, bring about a return of the relay 62 to its inoperative position.

In order that the apparatus may be capable of use with bottles and other articles of different height, the pellet dispenser and feeder, together with the light source 52 and the photoelectric cell 53, are mounted upon brackets 68, which in liver pellets one at a time to the tube, a photoelectric cell unit positioned to be actuated by an article placed in alignment with the tube and mechanisms operable by actuation of said unit for opening said valve momentarily and immediately thereafter actuating the feeder.,

2. In apparatus of the character described, a horizontal conveyor, a photoelectric cell unit including a light source and photoelectric cell arranged at opposite sides of said conveyor for cooperation with each other, a photoelectric control device connected to said cell, a relay operable by said device in response to actuation of the cell, a pellet dispensing tube having its lower discharge end positioned over the conveyor between the light source and cell, mechanism controlledby said relay for-releasing pellets one at a time from the tube, a pellet feeder above said tube, and mechanism controlled by said relay for eifecting the transfer of pellets from the feeder to said tube one a time.

3. In apparatus of th character described, a horizontal conveyor, a photoelectric cell unit including a light source and photoelectric cell arranged at opposite sides of said conveyor for cooperation with each other, a photoelectric control device connected to said cell, a relay operable by said device in response to actuation of the cell, a pellet dispensing tube having its lower discharge end positioned over the conveyor between the light source and cell, mechanism controlled by said relay for releasing pellets one at a time from the tube, a pellet feeder above said tube, and mechanism controlled by said relay for effecting the transfer of pellets from the feeder to said tube one at a time, said last named mechanism including means for closing the dispensing tube prior to delivery of a pellet thereto.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a horizontal conveyor, a photoelectric cell unit including a light source and photoelectric cell arranged at opposite sides of said conveyor for cooperation with cach other, a photoelectric control device connected to said cell, a relay operable by said device in response to actuation of the cell, a pellet dispensing tube having its lower discharge end positioned over the conveyor between the light source and cell, a Solenoid valve operable by actuation of the relay for releasing a pellet from the tube, a pellet feeder above said tube,

mechanism for effecting transfer of pellets one at a time to said tube, said mechanism including an air operated piston motor, a solenoid valve for controlling operation of said motor, and electrical connection between the relay and the last named solenoid.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a horizontal conveyor, a photoelectric cell unit including a light source and photoelectric cell arranged at opposite sides of said conveyor for cooperation with each other, a photoelectric control device connected to said cell, a relay operable by said device in response to actuation of the cell, a pellet dispensing tube having its-lower discharge end positioned over the conveyorbetween the light source and cell, a solenoid valve operable by actuation of the relay for releasing a pellet from the tube, a pellet feeder above said tube, mechanism for effecting transfer of pellets one at a time to said tube, said mechanism including an air operated piston motor, a solenoid valve for controlling operation of said motor, electrical connection between the relay and the last named solenoid, and a switch device included in said mechanism for eifecting closing of the valve in said tube prior to transfer of a pellet thereto.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a

' a relay controlling operation of both solenoids.

I trolling operation of both soleno ds, and means 7. In apparatus of the character described, a

vertical pellet dispensing tube, a gate valve at the 8. In apparatus of the character described, a

vertical pellet dispensing ube, a gate valve at the lower end of the tube, spring means normally yieldingly holding the valve closed, a solenoid connected to the valve for opening it at intervals, a pellet feeder, electrically controlled mechanism for effecting transfer of pellets one at a time from said feeder to the tube, a piston motor constituting a part of said mechanism, a solenoid valve controlling operation of said motor, a relay conoperable by said piston motor for periodically securing the mechanism against operation.

VERNEY G. POLITSCH. ALBERT G. LAUCK. 

